Return of Lückhoff High School as Community Asset

The foundational principles guiding the interpretation and implementation of Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Social Impact Policy are rooted in societal relevance and working for the public good.

This includes making the university’s expertise, resources, and facilities available to external stakeholders, where appropriate and feasible, while simultaneously opening the university to external expertise. Such efforts aim to make the university a more tolerant, accessible, and socially responsive public institution that addresses development and sustainability challenges through planned and strategic interventions.

Through this action, SU is contributing to the development of the town and surrounding areas, demonstrating how the university is actively involved in addressing social and historical inequities. The decision to return the Lückhoff High School building emphasizes the university’s role in not only acknowledging its past but also in contributing positively to the future, in alignment with the Social Impact Policy’s goals of societal relevance and the public good.

This work is supported by the Centre for the Advancement of Social Impact and Transformation, which plays a crucial role in fostering community-university partnerships that are ethical, transformative, and restorative in nature. Such partnerships are central to the university’s mission of promoting social justice, inclusion, and long-term sustainable development.

For more information or enquiries, please contact Renee Hector-Kannemeyer at reneehk@sun.ac.za

In 2006, Prof Chris Brink: Rector and Vice-Chancellor: Stellenbosch University (SU) declared:

“Stellenbosch is to this day divided town. There is the white Stellenbosch of Mostert drift and the Boord. There is the brown Stellenbosch of Cloetesville and the Vlei. And there is the Black Stellenbosch of Kayamandi and the Brug. But before all of this, at one time, there was Die Vlakte. There was once a place where people from different backgrounds and religions were free to live here in Stellenbosch. Within two street blocks of where the University is located today, there was a community where racial divides were less stark and that in embryo form already represented the type of community we strive for in this country today.”

(Biscombe, 2006).

Prof Russel Botman: Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU 2007:

“We are here to say that the gruesome legislation that caused people to become uprooted will not have the last say, but that the hope for a non-racial and multicultural society is alive, and that the spirit of Lückhoff and of the Vlakte will live on. In this way, Lückhoff is a beacon of hope for today and for tomorrow.”

(Botman, 2007).

Regarding the former Lückhoff High School building, there has been a persistent call for the transfer of ownership to its rightful owners, as advocated by Hector-Kannemeyer & Van Noie (2021).

The importance of the school has repeatedly been emphasized by those who value it and calls for the return of the beloved building to the school community have been ongoing. It was with much delight that during a special meeting held on June 23rd, 2023, with Vice-Rector Prof. Koopman, the Lückhoff Alumni, the Vlakte Forum, and university stakeholders, a decision was reached with the endorsement of the university leadership to transfer the Lückhoff Building to a community Trust. This action signifies the restoration of the building as a cherished community asset, fifty-six years after its forced removal. The decision to transfer ownership aligns with the university’s commitment to restitution, as outlined in the SU restitution statement.

SU Restitution Statement in 2018:

“Stellenbosch University (SU) acknowledges its inextricable connection with generations past, present and future. In 2018 Centenary Year, SU celebrates its many successes and achievements. SU simultaneously acknowledges its contribution towards the injustices of the past. For this we have deep regret. We apologise unreservedly to the communities and the individuals who were excluded from the historical privileges that the SU enjoyed, and we honour the critical Matie voices of the time who would not be silenced. In responsibility towards the present and future generations, SU commits itself unconditionally to the ideal of an inclusive world-class university in and for Africa.”

(Stellenbosch University, Restitution Statement, 2018).